FBI raids Project Veritas founder's home over Ashley Biden diary investigation
FBI agents raided Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe's New York home and seized his phones as part of an investigation into the alleged theft of a diary belonging to Ashley Biden, President Biden's daughter, which the group had reported on; O'Keefe was never charged.123
- Country
- United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)
- Where
- United States
- Level of government
- National
- Tactics
- Surveillance and subpoenas, Detention and violence
- Stage
- Punish (see the ladder)
- Head of government at the time
- Joe Biden
- Issue of the day
- Project Veritas had obtained and reported on a diary purportedly belonging to Ashley Biden during the 2020 campaign; federal prosecutors were investigating how the diary had been obtained and transported across state lines.
- Outcome
- Unknown. No charges were ever filed against O'Keefe; a court later allowed prosecutors to review the seized phones.
- Era
- The 2020s
What happened
On November 6, 2021, FBI agents searched the Mamaroneck, New York home of Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe and seized two of his iPhones as part of a Justice Department investigation into the alleged theft of a diary belonging to Ashley Biden, daughter of President Biden, which O'Keefe's organization had reported on during the 2020 campaign. O'Keefe said the phones contained reporters' notes, confidential sources unrelated to the diary story and other newsroom material, and said it appeared prosecutors now had journalists "in their sights" for doing their jobs. His attorney said the underlying warrant cited potential charges including misprision of a felony and transporting stolen property across state lines. Two people involved in obtaining the diary pleaded guilty in August 2022; a court later allowed prosecutors to review the seized phones, but no charges were ever filed against O'Keefe himself, and he left Project Veritas in 2023 for unrelated reasons.123
What reason was given
The search warrant cited a criminal investigation into the theft and interstate transport of Ashley Biden's diary; prosecutors did not separately justify seizing O'Keefe's phones rather than pursuing other investigative steps.2
What changed for reporting
A journalist's personal phones, containing what he said were confidential sources and reporting materials unrelated to the underlying investigation, were seized and later reviewed by federal prosecutors despite no charges ever being filed against him.1
Timeline
2021
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Bureau of Investigation | enforced | Federal law enforcement agency |
| Joe Biden | other | President of the United States, 2021-2025 |
| United States Department of Justice | ordered | Federal executive department |
Outlets and journalists
| Name | Kind | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| Project Veritas | outlet | affected |
| James O'Keefe | journalist, Project Veritas | affected |
Sources
Claims cited
- O'Keefe said his seized phones contained reporters' notes and confidential source information unrelated to the diary case.
On my phone were many of my reporter's notes, a lot of my sources unrelated to this story and a lot of confidential information to our news organization.
Project Veritas founder detained, phones seized amid FBI raid of his home, U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, 2021-11-06. Claim 398, checked 2026-09-22. - O'Keefe said federal prosecutors appeared to be pursuing journalists for doing their jobs.
It appears the Southern District of New York now has journalists in their sights for the supposed 'crime' of doing their jobs lawfully and honestly.
Project Veritas founder detained, phones seized amid FBI raid of his home, U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, 2021-11-06. Claim 399, checked 2026-09-22. - O'Keefe's attorney said the warrant cited potential charges including misprision of a felony and interstate transport of stolen property.
misprision of a felony, accessory after the fact and transporting materials across state lines.
Project Veritas founder detained, phones seized amid FBI raid of his home, U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, 2021-11-06. Claim 400, checked 2026-09-22.